New Skoda Octavia Arrives, vRS Goes Petrol And Auto Only

On some days, we’ll bring you industry-shattering automotive news, perhaps a new car pushing the boundaries of what is possible, or an incredible record attempt. On others, we’ll  show you a facelifted Skoda Octavia.

And that’s just fine. The Octavia is one of the most pleasant, sensible cars on the market: it’s reliable, well-built, affordable, spacious, and basically classless. It’s a nice car.

Now, that niceness is complemented by some newness, as Skoda has revealed a mid-life facelift for the current, fourth-generation Octavia. After a few teasers, we now get a proper look at the refreshed version of the Volkswagen Golf’s Czech cousin.

Visual changes are, perhaps unsurprisingly, pretty minimal. However, there are refreshed Matrix LED headlights (optional on all but the top models) which include a thing called Crystallinium that gives the housings a blue tinge. There’s a tweaked grille up front too, and on the rear, new Skoda lettering that “reflects the brand’s revised corporate identity.” Phwoar. As usual with these midlife updates, there are a few new wheels and colour designs, and the Octavia will continue to be offered as an estate or a sort of half-hatch, half-saloon liftback thing.

The big news in the interior is the arrival of a ChatGPT-powered AI assistant, integrated into Skoda’s ‘Laura’ voice assistant. A 10-inch digital display is standard, with the option to upgrade to a 13-inch unit.

There are more sustainable materials on the inside, including leather tanned with old coffee husks. Buyers can now choose between nine different trim-dependent interior ‘Design Selections’ (read: combinations of colour and upholstery) which have names like Loft, Lounge and Suite Cognac. Nice. Joyously, there’s also a line of actual, physical buttons for key functions, and that alone probably makes this a better car than the Golf.

This all sounds very pleasant and Skoda-ish so far, but what about the hot one, we hear you ask? Well, don’t worry: the vRS lives on, although like the Mk8.5 Golf, the range of performance variants has been significantly streamlined. At the fourth-gen Octavia’s launch in 2019, the vRS was available as a petrol, diesel or plug-in hybrid, and buyers of the petrol could choose between a manual or DSG gearbox.

With the facelift, the plug-in hybrid vRS has been officially shown the door. The diesel, too, has gone the way of its Golf GTD counterpart, leaving the 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol as the only vRS offering. And if you were hoping it would retain the manual gearbox option that’s now disappeared from the Golf GTI, then there’s bad news: the only choice is now a seven-speed DSG.

There are some upsides: the vRS features the same engine upgrades as the Mk8.5 Golf GTI, which means 261bhp and 272lb ft of torque. It sits 15mm lower than the basic car and features the VW Group’s trick VAQ electric limited-slip diff on the front. It also has what Skoda calls ‘genuine sports exhausts’ (as opposed to what?). Expect performance figures largely on par with the new Golf GTI.

Below the vRS, the new Octavia comes in three trim levels: SE Technology, SE L and Sportline. Currently, these come with a range of 1.5-litre four-cylinder TFSI petrols and a pair of 2.0-litre TDI diesels. Arriving next year is a 201bhp 2.0-litre petrol mated exclusively to a four-wheel drive system.

We probably won’t have to wait too long to find out pricing, which should nicely undercut the equivalent Golf. So, in the meantime, tell us: now that the two are more mechanically identical than ever, would a more sensible interior and a nice little cash-saving swing you towards an Octavia vRS instead of a Golf GTI?